scholarly journals Iraqi EFL Students' Perspective on Speaking Anxiety: A Pilot Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-122
Author(s):  
Noor Sabah Naeem ◽  
Norma Saad
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Rate Of Speech ◽  
Universiti Utara Malaysia ◽  
Depth Interviews

The study was aimed at understanding the EFL Iraqi students’ perspective on speaking anxiety. Specifically, the study investigated the causes of speaking anxiety based on data collected for a pilot study involving two Iraqi EFL postgraduate students in Universiti Utara Malaysia. Pseudonyms were used to refer to the participants as Omer and Sarah. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with the participants. The interview sessions took approximately 15-20 minutes for each participant and were videotaped and audiotaped. Semi-structured interviews with 15 questions and probes were used. The results showed that the speaking anxiety experienced by the two Iraqi students were due to the class atmosphere, the teacher’s attitudes, lack of vocabulary, rate of speech, different accent and long conversation, fear of being embarrassed, and fear of failing to perform. The causes identified are rooted in Iraqi status of English as a foreign language and method of teaching English as well as the teacher’s attitude towards their students.

scholarly journals Sources and Levels of Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety of English as a Foreign Language University Students with regard to Language Proficiency and Gender

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emre Debreli ◽  
Seren Demirkan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Turkish Cypriot

<p>Although foreign language anxiety is a widely explored subject in the area of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), studies that focus on the speaking anxiety in EFL, as well as the gender and language proficiency level–anxiety relationship, are rare. The present study investigates the phenomenon in an EFL context and analyzes the levels of EFL students’ speaking anxiety and the sources that make them anxious. It also explores whether there is any relationship between anxiety and students’ language proficiency level and gender. Data were gathered from 196 Turkish and Turkish Cypriot students through questionnaires (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale), as well as through semi-structured interviews with 10 students who participated in the questionnaires. The findings indicated that the students generally had low level of speaking anxiety, although students with a higher level of language proficiency had a higher level of anxiety compared with that for students with a lower level of language proficiency. No statistically meaningful difference was observed with regard to students’ gender and anxiety levels. Factors that caused anxiety—such as difficulty in pronunciation, being asked immediate questions by the teacher, not understanding the question asked by the teacher—not found in the current literature also emerged from the present study. Implications for teacher education are also discussed.</p>

scholarly journals THE EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF THEIR FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN SPEAKING CLASS

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Dita Anggraeny ◽  
Iskhak Said ◽  
R. Bunga Febriani
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
The Other ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Centered Learning ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
The Third ◽  
Efl Students

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is aimed at investigating the factors that influence foreign language anxiety among the students in a speaking class, and how they perceive about overcoming foreign language anxiety. The present study used a questionnaire to find out the factors that influenced students’ foreign language anxiety. An interview was conducted in order to find out the students’ perception of their foreign language anxiety. It was found that students felt anxious when they were unable to comprehend communication in class (62.5%). Test and speaking in front of class became one of the factors that caused students to experienced anxiety (43%). On the other hand, fear of receiving bad comments from the teacher and the other students was the third factor that students experienced anxiety (61.8%). Through the semi-structured interviews, it showed that students reduced the anxiety by practicing the pronunciation, and memorizing the vocabulary. Besides, the teacher played a role in creating and reducing students’ foreign language anxiety. The teacher who was able to create an enjoyable learning atmosphere, and focused on student-centered learning, the students argued that it could reduce their foreign language anxiety. Keywords: Speaking, Anxiety, Foreign Language Anxiety ABSTRAKTujuan dari artikel ini bertujuan untuk menyelidiki faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kecemasan bahasa asing di antara siswa di kelas berbicara, dan bagaimana mereka memandang tentang mengatasi kecemasan bahasa asing. Penelitian ini menggunakan kuesioner untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kecemasan bahasa asing siswa. Wawancara dilakukan untuk mengetahui persepsi siswa tentang kecemasan bahasa asing mereka. Ditemukan bahwa siswa merasa cemas ketika mereka tidak dapat memahami komunikasi di kelas (62,5%). Tes dan berbicara di depan kelas menjadi salah satu faktor yang menyebabkan siswa mengalami kecemasan (43%). Di sisi lain, ketakutan menerima komentar buruk dari guru dan siswa lain adalah faktor ketiga yang membuat siswa mengalami kecemasan (61,8%). Melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur menunjukkan bahwa siswa mengurangi kecemasan dengan mempraktikkan pengucapan, dan menghafal kosa kata. Selain itu, guru berperan dalam menciptakan dan mengurangi kecemasan bahasa asing siswa. Guru yang mampu menciptakan suasana belajar yang menyenangkan, dan fokus pada pembelajaran yang berpusat pada siswa, para siswa berpendapat bahwa itu dapat mengurangi kecemasan bahasa asing mereka. Kata kunci: Berbicara, Kecemasan, Kecemasan Bahasa Asing 

Understanding willingness to communicate in L2 between Korean and Taiwanese students

2019 ◽  
pp. 136216881989082
Author(s):  
Ju Seong Lee ◽  
Kilryoung Lee ◽  
Jun Chen Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Korean Students ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
L2 Speaking ◽  
Efl Students

This study examined Korean ( n = 143) and Taiwanese ( n = 261) EFL students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) in in-class, out-of-class, and digital settings. Follow-up interviews ( n = 20) were also conducted to identify factors that might have influenced their L2 WTC. Results showed that Korean and Taiwanese participants scored lowest on L2 WTC inside the classroom. The qualitative data suggest that L2 speaking anxiety might have equally influenced both groups’ L2 WTC. Additionally, while Korean students scored higher on L2 WTC outside the classroom than Taiwanese students, the Taiwanese scored higher on L2 WTC in digital settings than did the Koreans. The qualitative data revealed that these discrepancies might have been influenced by English environment and teaching practice. These findings suggest that East Asian learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) can become more willing to communicate when sufficient opportunities for English use are provided through instructional and institutional support.

scholarly journals Exploring the Causes of English Language Speaking Anxiety among Postgraduate Students of University of Balochistan, Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazeer Ahmed ◽  
Zahid Hussain Pathan ◽  
Faria Saeed Khan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Official Language ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Statistical Significant Difference ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The World

English language enjoys its glory as an official language of Pakistan and it is used widely as a medium of instructions across educational institutes. Since anxiety retards the learning process, therefore it has been widely researched in the world and seems under researched in Pakistani context. Thus, the prime aim of this research is to explore the factors that cause English language speaking anxiety among Postgraduate Students of University of Balochistan (UoB), Pakistan. This study also aimed at determining the statistical significant difference if any across gender. The quantitative research design was employed in which a questionnaire comprising of eighteen items was adapted from the study by Horwitz et al. (1986). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed in the SPSS (version, 21). The findings revealed that UOB students were experiencing anxiety due to myriad factors in EFL classroom. The findings of the t-test revealed no statistical significant difference across gender. This paper has implications on both teaching and learning of English as a foreign language in Pakistani context.

Speaking Anxiety Among Postgraduate International Students in the Academic Context of a University in Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 198
Author(s):  
Bikash Chandra Taly ◽  
Shamala Paramasivam
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Positive Thinking ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Academic Context ◽  
Postgraduate Students

Anxiety is common for international students when speaking in the academic context. The aim of this study is to explore the reasons that cause speaking anxiety in the academic context of a university. The study also aims to find out strategies used by students to cope with speaking anxiety. This research employs the qualitative method in the form of interview questions to investigate the issues. Fifteen international postgraduate students and two experienced university lecturers of a public university in Malaysia were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The investigation revealed that speaking anxiety originates from students' self-related perceptions, learning challenges, differences between students' and target language cultures, poor language knowledge, and fear of being evaluated by peers and lecturers. The strategies used to cope with speaking anxiety included a variety of affective (relaxation), cognitive (positive thinking) and behavioral strategies (preparation/practice, avoidance of eye contact, providing immediate response to instructors’ questions, taking part in as many speaking activities as possible, peer seeking and physical masking behavior). From the investigation, it is found that anxiety has an influence on students’ communication when speaking in English. More emphasis should be given to anxiety reducing methods in the teaching and learning context of higher education.

scholarly journals Saudi EFL Students’ Use and Perceptions of Blackboard before and during Online Learning Amid COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zainab Alsuhaibani
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Learning Management Systems ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Institutional Policies ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Three Phases

Online learning becomes the means of education during COVID-19. Blackboard is one of the learning management systems that has been widely used before and during the pandemic. This study focuses on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ use and perceptions of Blackboard. It explores and compares EFL students’ use and perceptions of Blackboard considering three phases: before COVID-19 in 2019, during online learning in 2020, and during online learning in 2021. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. A total of 381 Saudi EFL students participated in the study. The results show that there are statistically significant differences in EFL students’ use of Blackboard between the three phases. EFL students’ use of Blackboard increased during online learning in 2020 compared to 2019, especially concerning the frequency of visiting Blackboard and the time students spent using it. Further, EFL students’ use of Blackboard increased significantly during online learning in 2021 compared to 2019 with regard to visit frequencies, time spent, and Blackboard tools used. Considering perceptions, the results indicate that there are statistically significant differences in students’ perceptions of Blackboard in terms of easiness and usefulness between the three phases. Interestingly, students had more positive perceptions of Blackboard before COVID-19 in 2019 and during online learning in 2021. The technical problems that students faced while using Blackboard during 2020 might have affected their perceptions. The study results of students’ use and perceptions of Blackboard are discussed in light of institutional policies and support.

scholarly journals Involvement in Extracurricular Activities and Overcoming High Levels of Communication Apprehension among Saudi EFL Majors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lubna Alnaeem
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Communication Apprehension ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The Relationship

This study attempted to examine the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and levels of Communication Apprehension (CA) among English as a foreign language (EFL) students and explore the students’ perspectives of how extracurricular activities affect their communication skills. The study addressed the following two questions: a) what is the relationship between EFL students’ involvement in extracurricular activities and their level of Communication Apprehension?, b) What are the EFL students’ perspectives regarding the effect of extracurricular activities on their communication skills?. The participants were 40 EFL students among 80 who participated in extracurricular activities at the College of Languages and Translation at Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh. The participants were asked to complete a Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24) to examine their levels of CA as well as a questionnaire about their attitudes toward extracurricular activities. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 participants to explore their perspectives in depth. The findings showed that most participants had moderate levels of CA and that 100% of the participants agreed that participation in extracurricular activities helped them reduce CA and improve their communication skills. The study also showed that extracurricular activities were more helpful than classroom activities in improving communication skills. This study is significant in that it shed the light on the importance of involvement in extracurricular activities and their role in improving EFL students’ communication skills and lowering CA levels. Thus, it is recommended to encourage EFL students to participate in extracurricular activities and consider including such activities in course requirements and teaching materials.

scholarly journals Raising Student Consciousness About Machine Translation

2021 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 386
Author(s):  
Tim Newfields ◽  
Ivan Botev
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Machine Translation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Consciousness Raising ◽  
Learning Framework ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Translation Services

With the rise of virtual assistants and the proliferation of digital translation software, such as Google Translate and Weblio that speed up the translator’s work, it is time to question what role, if any, machine translation services should have in foreign language classes. In this paper, the authors describe some activities designed to raise awareness about the use and misuse of machine translation within a task-based learning framework. Inspired by Sharwood-Smith’s 1981 notion of “consciousness-raising”, we outline three activities highlighting the benefits and problems of machine translation. An analysis of two translation exercises by 86 tertiary students in Japan indicated how many felt uncertain of the quality of their translations. Moreover, semi-structured interviews with six respondents following these activities underscored how students felt ambivalent about their translations. We conclude the paper with a discussion of some resources for EFL students seeking to improve their translation skills. デジタル翻訳ソフトの普及に伴い、外国語の授業で機械翻訳サービスが、もしあるとしたらどのような役割を担うべきかを問う時期にきている。本稿では、タスクベース学習の枠組みの中で、機械翻訳の使用と誤用についての認識を高めるためにデザインされたいくつかの活動について説明する。 本稿では、機械翻訳の利点と欠点を強調する三つのアクティビティーを概説する。日本の高等教育機関で学ぶ86人の学生によるふたつの翻訳演習の分析から、多くの学生が自らの翻訳の質に不安を感じていることがわかった。、さらに、これらのアクティビティーの後に実施した6人の学部生への半構造化面接から、多くの学生が翻訳の質を判断するのに苦労していることが明らかになった。締めくくりとして、翻訳スキルの向上を目指すEFLの学生向けのリソースについて考察した。

scholarly journals Exploring EFL Students’ Reading Engagement in KWL Strategy

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-266
Author(s):  
Anisyafa Firda Dwi Damaranti ◽  
Hilmansyah Saefullah ◽  
Iwan Ridwan
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Reading Engagement ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Interview Session ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Positive Engagement ◽  
Depth Interviews

This research attempted to explore how the KWL strategy facilitates EFL students' reading engagement. The participants of this research were three students of an Islamic Senior High School. Using a case study design, the researcher describes EFL students' reading engagement by observing and engaging them in in-depth interviews. For gaining the data, the researchers used semi-structured interviews and the students' artefacts of the KWL tables. The interview session was conducted through WhatsApp audio-recording as a preferred interview media by the participants. The result of the research found that the KWL strategy gives positive engagement and self-assessment to EFL students with several stages. Other researchers are suggested to conduct further research on similar topics related to reading engagement in EFL students. Several research possibilities will expand this research. First, future researchers can complete this study by looking at the students' needs in the classroom. The results of this study revealed that students have difficulty with vocabulary.

scholarly journals The Constraints of Foreign Learners in Reading English Literary Works: A Case Study at Hasanuddin University

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 01
Author(s):  
Fathu Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Broad Sense ◽  
Literary Works ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Data Collection Methods ◽  
Sufficient Knowledge ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Collection Methods

<p>The objective of this research was to map out and seek solutions to the problems faced by students of English as a foreign language in reading literary works. Conducted at the Department of English and Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Hasanuddin University, the study took place over one semester. The research respondents were Indonesian postgraduate students taking the English Stylistics and Literary Appreciation course. The aims were: 1) to map out the language constraints of learners in reading English literary works, and 2) carry out troubleshooting to minimize the constraints. The data collection methods used was a questionnaire and in-depth interviews. The results showed that the foreign learners need to have sufficient knowledge of trope and scheme in general and linguistic deviation in particular, in order to understand the author's language in a broad sense as well as specific literary stylistics.</p>

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